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Howard Staunton vs Elijah Williams
Staunton - Williams (1851), London, rd 8, Nov-??
Bird Opening: General (A02)  ·  1-0

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
Notes by Stockfish 9 v010218 (minimum 6s/ply)better is 2...Nf6 3.b3 c5 4.Nf3 b6 5.Be2 Bb7 6.O-O Be7 7.Bb2 = -0.28 (24 ply)= +0.38 (22 ply)better is 3...g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 O-O 7.d4 c5 8.Nge2 = -0.04 (24 ply)= +0.46 (23 ply)better is 7...Be7 8.c4 O-O 9.Bb2 b6 10.d3 Bb7 11.Qe2 Qd7 12.Na3 = +0.19 (23 ply) ⩲ +0.74 (22 ply)better is 11.c4 Bd7 12.d4 Bd6 13.Nc2 dxc4 14.dxc5 Bxc5 15.Qxc4 Qe7 ⩲ +0.85 (22 ply)= +0.20 (21 ply) after 11...Qe7 12.c4 Nb4 13.d4 cxd4 14.exd4 Nxa2 15.Nc2 Nb4 better is 14.d4 cxd4 15.cxd5 exd5 16.Nxd4 Nxd4 17.Bxd4 Ne4 18.Ba1 ⩲ +0.75 (19 ply)= +0.10 (23 ply) after 14...Rxf6 15.d4 cxd4 16.exd4 dxc4 17.Nxc4 Bb7 18.Rf2 Nb4 16...cxd4 17.Nxd4 Ne7 18.Rc1 Bb6 19.Nc6 Nxc6 20.Bxd5+ = +0.10 (22 ply) ± +1.71 (24 ply) 18...Be6 19.Na5 Bxa5 20.a3 Rfc8 21.Rc1 Qf8 22.axb4 Bxb4 ⩲ +1.35 (24 ply) 19.Qxc4+ Be6 20.Qxc7 Nd5 21.Qc5 Rfc8 22.Nc6 Kh8 23.Qd6 +- +2.57 (22 ply) ⩲ +1.15 (23 ply) after 19...Nd3 20.Nxc4 Nxf4 21.gxf4 Bd7 22.Ne5 Qe6 23.Nxd7 better is 20.fxe5 Qe6 21.axb4 Bb7 22.Bxb7 Rxb7 23.e4 Rxb4 24.exf5 ± +1.64 (23 ply) ⩲ +0.94 (24 ply) 22...Be6 23.Qa2 Re8 24.Rfd1 Kh8 25.Bc6 Rg8 26.Qa3 Rb3 ⩲ +0.98 (24 ply) ± +1.77 (24 ply) 23...Qe8 24.Bxb7 Rxb7 25.Qxc4 Qb5 26.Qd4 Re8 27.Rc1 Qb2 ± +2.04 (23 ply)+- +6.81 (27 ply)32...Qd5 33.Qxd5 Ke7 34.Qd7+ Kf6 35.Qf7# +- mate-in-31-0

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
FEN COPIED

Annotations by Stockfish (Computer).      [35437 more games annotated by Stockfish]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Feb-17-04  fred lennox: One of Stauton's finest. Intricacy is the keyword for Stauton's artistry. Not brilliancy or dash. Nor the wild and wooly or messy tactics, but controlled intricacy. Usually with cagy openings and gradual build up of pressure leading to the coup de grace. I find it beautiful, though I'm aware few share this opinion.
Feb-17-04  J dawg: Whats wrong with 16.Re8? Black would then have at least an equal game. If 17.dxc then I believe black wins with ..d4 18.Nxd4 Nxd4 19.Rxd4 Qxd4 20.exd4 Rxe2.
Feb-17-04  drukenknight: did you see how long it took him to get his R down to e8? near the end. Not sure how deep this game is tactically speaking, w/o using computer I think I'll put some time into it and come back

I am not sure what dawg is saying. WHy does white want to give black and equal game or do you mean 16...Re8?

Feb-21-04  fred lennox: After 16...Re8 17 dxc5...d4 there's the option of 18 Qc4+
Nov-10-04  Lowintermediate: 23 e6 is nice here--I'm sure I would have fuffed around by trying to trade off my backward e pawn or else blockaded black's passed pawn, where attack with e6 is definitely what's called for!
Jan-26-07  Themofro: <lowintermediate> i agree that 26.e6 is quite nice here.

I beleive that black played too aggressively in the opening, don't think he should have gone into a stonewall that quickly either.

May-22-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  sisyphus: IM Bill Hartston annotated this in his "Kings of Chess." After 6.b3 he writes

<White's development of his Bishops in fianchetto on g2 and b2 is an idea we have come to associate with the "hypermodern" school of the period between 1920 and 1930, yet Staunton, Buckle and H.E. Bird were experimenting with the same ideas seventy-five years before. White's whole strategy is one of control rather than occupation of the centre.>

Sep-28-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sally Simpson: At the 1974 Capablanca Memorial the players were shown this game and they had to guess who was White.

The most popular choices were it was either Larsen or Barcza.

page 124, Howard Staunton by Coles and Keene.

Nov-30-18  hermanshire: White alternative for move 19 Qxc4
Mar-20-20  OrganicPanic: Why not 22.Bd5
Wouldn't that win the queen?
I'm probably not seeing something.
Mar-20-20  sudoplatov: I think 22.Bd5 is met by ...Be6.
Mar-28-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  catoblepas: 16 ...Re8 17dxc5 d4 18 Ng5!!
Mar-28-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  catoblepas: attack the knight and reforceinment the attack in a2-g8

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